Abstract

Waste heat generated during daytime operation of a solar module will raise its temperature and reduce cell efficiency. In addition to thermalization and carrier recombination, one major source of excess heat in modules is the parasitic absorption of light with sub-bandgap energy. Parasitic absorption can be prevented if sub-bandgap radiation is reflected away from the module. We report on the design considerations and projected changes to module energy yield for photonic reflectors capable of reflecting a portion of sub-bandgap radiation while maintaining or improving transmission of light with energy greater than the semiconductor bandgap. Using a previously developed, self-consistent opto-electro-thermal finite-element simulation, we calculate the total additional energy generated by a module, including various photonic reflectors, and decompose these benefits into thermal and optical effects. We show that the greatest total energy yield improvement comes from photonic mirrors designed for the outside of the glass, but that mirrors placed between the glass and the encapsulant can have significant thermal benefit. We then show that optimal photonic mirror design requires consideration of all angles of incidence, despite unequal amounts of radiation arriving at each angle. We find that optimized photonic mirrors will be omnidirectional in the sense that they have beneficialmore » performance, regardless of the angle of incidence of radiation. By fulfilling these criteria, photonic mirrors can be used at different geographic locations or different tilt angles than their original optimization conditions with only marginal changes in performance. We show designs that improve energy output in Golden, Colorado by 3.7% over a full year. This work demonstrates the importance of considering real-world irradiance and weather conditions when designing optical structures for solar applications.« less

@article{osti_1429288,
title = {Spectrally Selective Mirrors with Combined Optical and Thermal Benefit for Photovoltaic Module Thermal Management},
author = {Slauch, Ian M. and Deceglie, Michael G. and Silverman, Timothy J. and Ferry, Vivian E.},
abstractNote = {Waste heat generated during daytime operation of a solar module will raise its temperature and reduce cell efficiency. In addition to thermalization and carrier recombination, one major source of excess heat in modules is the parasitic absorption of light with sub-bandgap energy. Parasitic absorption can be prevented if sub-bandgap radiation is reflected away from the module. We report on the design considerations and projected changes to module energy yield for photonic reflectors capable of reflecting a portion of sub-bandgap radiation while maintaining or improving transmission of light with energy greater than the semiconductor bandgap. Using a previously developed, self-consistent opto-electro-thermal finite-element simulation, we calculate the total additional energy generated by a module, including various photonic reflectors, and decompose these benefits into thermal and optical effects. We show that the greatest total energy yield improvement comes from photonic mirrors designed for the outside of the glass, but that mirrors placed between the glass and the encapsulant can have significant thermal benefit. We then show that optimal photonic mirror design requires consideration of all angles of incidence, despite unequal amounts of radiation arriving at each angle. We find that optimized photonic mirrors will be omnidirectional in the sense that they have beneficial performance, regardless of the angle of incidence of radiation. By fulfilling these criteria, photonic mirrors can be used at different geographic locations or different tilt angles than their original optimization conditions with only marginal changes in performance. We show designs that improve energy output in Golden, Colorado by 3.7% over a full year. This work demonstrates the importance of considering real-world irradiance and weather conditions when designing optical structures for solar applications.},
doi = {10.1021/acsphotonics.7b01586},
journal = {ACS Photonics},
number = 4,
volume = 5,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {3}
}

Figures / Tables:

Figure 1: Design of the solar module integrated photonic mirrors accounts for both diffuse components of solar radiation (left) and the interface where the photonic mirror is present (middle) with the goal of reflecting sub-bandgap light while transmitting shorter-wavelength light. Simulations account for module properties including cell surface texture andmore » changes in cell efficiency with temperature (right).« less

Many existing commercially manufactured photovoltaic modules include a cover layer of glass, commonly coated with a single layer antireflection coating (ARC) to reduce reflection losses. As many common photovoltaic cells, including c-Si, CdTe, and CIGS, decrease in efficiency with increasing temperature, a more effective coating would increase reflection of sub-bandgap light while still acting as an antireflection coating for higher energy photons. The sub-bandgap reflection would reduce parasitic sub-bandgap absorption and therefore reduce operating temperature. This reduction under realistic outdoor conditions would lead to an increase in annual energy yield of a photovoltaic module beyond what is achieved by amore » single layer ARC. However, calculating the actual increase in energy yield provided by this approach is difficult without using time-consuming simulation. Here, we present a time-independent matrix model which can quickly determine the percentage change in annual energy yield of a module with a spectrally selective mirror by comparison to a baseline module with no mirror. The energy benefit is decomposed into a thermal component from temperature reduction and an optical component from increased transmission of light above the bandgap and therefore increased current generation. Time-independent matrix model calculations are based on real irradiance conditions that vary with geographic location and module tilt angle. The absolute predicted values of energy yield improvement from the model are within 0.1% of those obtained from combined ray-tracing and time-dependent finite-element simulations and compute 1000x faster. Uncertainty in the model result is primarily due to effects of wind speed on module temperature. Optimization of the model result produces a 13-layer and a 20-layer mirror, which increase annual module energy yield by up to 4.0% compared to a module without the mirror, varying depending on the module location and tilt angle. Finally, we analyze how spectrally selective mirrors affect the loss pathways of the photovoltaic module.« less

The efficiency of a crystalline silicon solar module decreases as its operating temperature rises. Module cooling is possible via selective reflection of sub-bandgap photons so that they are not parasitically absorbed. Selecting from a library of common dielectrics, we numerically optimize the design of two-layer mirrors at the outer glass surface of a crystalline Si solar cell module. The mirrors are designed to maximize the annual energy yield of a module by both reflecting light below the bandgap and enhancing the transmission of light above the bandgap. Combined ray-tracing and finite element simulations determine the power output and temperature ofmore » the module over time. Since any two-layer mirror would replace a conventional single-layer glass anti-reflection coating on the module glass, we study the ability of a two-layer structure to improve on a single-layer coating. The best two-layer designs improve the annual energy yield over a module with a glass anti-reflection coating and reduce the module operating temperature.« less

Crystal-silicon (c-Si) film photovoltaics hold the promise of combining the advantages of state-of-the-art wafer-silicon technology with the scalability and the inherently much lower cost of thin-film solar technologies. In the thickness range of 2-20m very effective light trapping is essential to absorb sufficient red and near-infrared (NIR) light and reach targeted efficiencies of 16% 18%, as defined by the U.S. National Solar Technology Roadmap. One proposed method is diffractive light trapping, which, at least in certain wavelength ranges, can theoretically outperform light trapping through random scattering at a rough surface or interface. The goals of this project were (1) tomore » develop a nanoimprinting process for a high-refractive-index dielectric material, (2) to fabricate diffraction gratings as back-reflectors using this material, and (3) to demonstrate for a 2c-Si film an improvement in AM1.5 photon absorption of at least 80% relative to single-pass absorption. We achieved goals (1) and (2). We developed a soft-imprint method for sol-based titanium dioxide precursor films (index range 2.3-2.4) and integrated imprinted films in thin-film silicon devices. We did not fully reach goal (3): depending on the model used for interpretation of the optical experimental data, AM1.5 photon absorption was improved by only 53% (coherent electromagnetic model) to 66% (non-coherent ray-tracing model). When compared to a metallized flat reference film (double-pass absorption), the improvement due to the grating is only 6%, if the (more conservative) electromagnetic model is used. Other important achievements from this project were: -We perfected an imprinting method for another ceramic material, aluminum oxide phosphate, which is index-matched with glass. -We tested diffractive light trapping at different incidence angles and found positive evidence for light trapping for angles up to 50°, although the light-trapping efficiency decreased with increasing incidence angle. -The extent of the trapped wavelength range scales with the refractive index of the dielectric material. The full benefit of a high refractive index, however, is only achieved if the dielectric layer underneath the grating layer (the residual layer) is sufficiently thick (several 100 nm). For a very thin residual layer, the light wave is predominantly localized in the underlying material during diffraction, and this material's refractive index then determines the trapping range. The (welcomed) consequence is that if this material is the silicon absorber layer, e.g. in a thin-film superstrate configuration, a very large trapping range can be achieved even if a low-index dielectric is used. We tested this directly through light-trapping experiments in glass plates using two different imprinted dielectric materials, titanium dioxide (index range 2.3-2.4) and aluminum oxide phosphate (index 1.5), with thick and thin residual layers. -We tested both copper and aluminum as low-cost reflector alternatives to silver on the grating back sides. In the relevant wavelength range above 650 nm, copper not only has the same high reflectance as silver, but the diffraction efficiency is also on par with silver. -A total of five scientific publications resulting from this work have either been published or are in preparation for submission (see Detailed Technical Report, below). Two conference presentations were given. In conclusion, we successfully developed nanoimprinting techniques for two ceramic precursor materials and tested diffractive light trapping in c-Si and nc-Si:H thin-film devices. The measured amount of light trapping did not fully reach our target value. The lessons learned from this project, however, both concerning experimental techniques and theoretical/modeling methods, have been extensive. Light trapping remains a central issue in thin c-Si technology, and we recommend to the US Department of Energy to increase research in this important area.« less

For commercial one-sun solar modules, up to 80% of the incoming sunlight may be dissipated as heat, potentially raising the temperature 20-30 °C higher than the ambient. In the long term, extreme self-heating erodes efficiency and shortens lifetime, thereby dramatically reducing the total energy output. Therefore, it is critically important to develop effective and practical (and preferably passive) cooling methods to reduce operating temperature of photovoltaic (PV) modules. In this paper, we explore two fundamental (but often overlooked) origins of PV self-heating, namely, sub-bandgap absorption and imperfect thermal radiation. The analysis suggests that we redesign the optical properties of themore » solar module to eliminate parasitic absorption (selective-spectral cooling) and enhance thermal emission (radiative cooling). Comprehensive opto-electro-thermal simulation shows that the proposed techniques would cool one-sun terrestrial solar modules up to 10 °C. As a result, this self-cooling would substantially extend the lifetime for solar modules, with corresponding increase in energy yields and reduced levelized cost of electricity.« less

Operation at elevated temperatures is detrimental to the performance of crystalline Si solar modules. One method of reducing module operating temperature is selective reflection of sub-bandgap photons, which can otherwise only be absorbed parasitically. We numerically optimize the design of a series of multilayer photonic mirrors based on real materials using a previously developed optimization routine. Combined ray tracing and finite element simulations reveal the ability of each mirror to increase energy yield and decrease operating temperature. The best design outperforms a conventional glass antireflection coating, contains only nine layers, and maintains performance regardless of geographic location.